Blue Skies, Blue Snow Cones, and Blue Eyes
by ALargeBear
Summary: A beautiful day sets the backdrop for Nozomi's planned confession.


Blue skies, blue snow cones, and blue eyes were the only things Nozomi could focus on. Some more than others, of course. The snow cone was a nice blueberry flavor that she would never have picked out herself, normally good, but made great for reasons outside of the treats control. The picturesque blue skies made for a warm spring day, and a nice backdrop for a stroll through a park. Both made the day great, but those blue eyes made it perfect.

Even as they walked down the path, each sidelined with just-blooming trees, Nozomi had to stop herself from staring too long. Eyes that shined with a child-like innocence and cheer at each bite of the ice. An allure so wholly unique, that Nozomi often wondered if she were real. A side she wanted to see more of and know more about, hoping to bring that joy out of herself without the second-guessing. There was also that small twinge in her chest, but she'd resolved herself to solve that issue. Simple feelings like love were hard for her to vocalize, but Honoka had a way of making those simple feelings come out without the second guesses. Maybe that was where the love came from in the first place.

"This was such a good idea!" Honoka chomped down on the last of her ice, small blue stains on the outside of her lips. "It's the perfect day for a walk in the park and eat something sweet. This was the best way to spend my Sunday."

Nozomi giggled, handing a napkin over. "I'm glad you had fun because I enjoyed today. And you might want to wipe your face off. You look like a clown."

"Hey!" Honoka shouted, taking the napkin anyway and wiping her lips. "You're not really eating a snow cone if you don't get at least some of it on your face. Those are the rules, you know?"

"Whose rules?" Nozomi looked down at her dish still half-full. She licked her lips, not a taste of blueberries to be found.

"Mine."

Nozomi couldn't find a response, only staring across at Honoka with a smile. Listening along as Honoka lead them down whatever path she decided to take. Resolve was never the problem, Nozomi had convinced herself, with some help, that this was something she had to do. The problem was timing and the wondering if Honoka would even understand when the time came.

"It's to bad the rest of the group couldn't come. I bet they would have had a bunch of fun, too," Honoka said, footsteps falling into step with Nozomi's.

"Oh, and what's so bad about spending a whole day with me?" Nozomi asked in mostly mock offense. Mostly, because she could never help herself from falling into those fear-driven thoughts. "I thought today was a lot of fun with just us."

"So do I." Honoka flushed and stuttered, blue eyes wide with an odd fear in them as she came to an abrupt stop. "This was the best day ever, but don't you think everyone else would have liked to be here too? But just the two of us was great, too. I just like when all nine of us do things together."

"Don't worry, I know what you meant, Honoka." Nozomi giggled as Honoka let out a sigh. "I'm sure everyone would have had a lot of fun with us."

"Yup." Honoka nodded, turning off back down the path, now almost devoid of other people completely. "It was fun with just two of us though."

Nozomi caught up to Honoka's side with a quicker heartbeat. Sweet words from the girl you liked could get to anyone, and Nozomi was experiencing it first-hand. "We should do it more often, than."

"We should." Honoka kept her face forward and pace quick.

Waiting for her chance, Nozomi followed along in an out of place silence, so she watched. The park was empty, and her snow cone was still half-full, but Honoka's eyes were still all she could focus on. A clear and vibrant blue, so out of place, but beautiful all the same. With dry lips and sweaty palms, she took deep breaths. Simple prep before they came upon a small bench hidden off to the side. A site Nozomi knew she wouldn't be able to pass up.

"Are you going to eat the rest of that?" Honoka asked, coming to an abrupt stop as she turned on her heel.

Nozomi shook herself out of her prep. Eyes darting from the blue in her cone to the blue in Honoka's eyes. "No. You can have it."

"Yes!" Honoka cheered as she wasted no time swiping her treat from Nozomi's hands.

"You really like that stuff, don't you?" Nozomi asked, trying not to focus too hard on the way Honoka took a bite from the exact spot she had.

"I actually like strawberry better." Honoka licked her lips. "But this is almost as good."

"I'll have to remember that."

They sat down on the bench as it came along the path. A secluded spot hidden away with trees, but a view of that pristine blue sky. Honoka quiet as she scarfed down the rest of her treat. Nozomi regained her composure, deep breaths kept her from falling too far into how beautiful Honoka looked in the afternoon light. She had more important things to ask after all.

"Do you know why I asked you to go out with me today?" Nozomi tried looking at Honoka, but as their eyes met, she couldn't stop hers from wandering.

"Because it was a nice day out," Honoka said. "And everybody else was busy."

"I would have only asked you even if everyone else weren't busy. You know that, right?"

Honoka tilted her head, brow furrowed. "But didn't you say it would have been fun with everyone else, too?"

"Sure, but I had something important I wanted to ask you about."

Honoka's silence brought with it a healthy dose of reality that Nozomi hadn't expected. A serious gleam in those eyes that Nozomi couldn't get enough of. A single doubt barged into her mind like they always had, but a quick glance up toward the sky and a squeeze of her hands, and things would be alright. Honoka had taught her that much.

"What?" Honoka asked, voice as flat as she could make it, but a twinge of cheer still present.

"What if I told you-" Nozomi stopped as Honoka downed the very last of the ice, the situation almost enough to make her crack a smile. "What if I said I liked you. Do you know what that means?"

Honoka tapped her chin, a serious hum escaping her blue-painted lips. "What kind of like?"

"Like love." A lick of dry lips and a hard swallow helped Nozomi keep her focus. "It's not a normal 'like', Honoka. I love you."

Shock washed over Honoka's face. Mind going haywire as she was confronted with such blunt affection normally she was the one giving. "Me? Honoka Kousaka. You love me?"

"You're the only one here." Nozomi looked around, the area still empty. The immediate distance from the confession cracking open a small door for anxieties to enter.

"That makes me super happy." Honoka pushed her face in closer. "But I don't know what you do when you love someone."

That door in her heart slammed shut, now only filled with a warm requited love. Her lips turned into a smile stretching ear to ear, but as genuine as any other. She kept her hands at her side, but the overwhelming urge to pull Honoka in close was tough to fight off.

"I don't know much about it either," Nozomi answered with total honesty, an excited tremble in her voice. "You're the first person I've ever felt this way about."

Honoka inched her face in even closer. "Does that mean we should do stuff like this, then?"

Nozomi couldn't react in time as Honoka's lips were on hers. Vision only filled with a cerulean blue as neither closed their eyes. The wonderful sensation only lasting a fraction of a second before Honoka pulled away, smile on her face as if she hadn't done something outrageous.

"Why did you do that?" Nozomi tapped her lips, still wet.

"Don't you kiss the person you're in love with." Honoka had the decency to look bashful. "That's what happens in movies and manga."

"Well, sure." Nozomi was still processing, from confessing to kissing in a matter of moments a curveball she hadn't expected. "But normally you go on dates and spend time together before all that."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"It's not like I know much about it either," Nozomi said. "I guess we'll have to figure it out together."

Waiting for a response was pure agony. Nozomi reading to far into every one of Honoka's small movements. Even after that kiss, she couldn't allow herself to get too comfortable. Well, she could, but years of uncertainties had ingrained such negativity. Honoka's cheer was the usual cure.

Honoka shot up from the bench grabbing Nozomi's hand and tugging her along. "Then we should spend the rest of the day together."

"Slow down, Honoka. You're tugging too hard."

There were fears still hidden somewhere, waiting to show up, but Honoka's hand was in hers. That was enough. It would always be enough.

Nozomi licked her lips as they charged forward, a hint of blueberry the only taste.


End file.
